There is a legend in Irish mythology of ‘An Bradán Feasa’, the Salmon of Knowledge. According to the legend, boundless wisdom is bestowed on whoever catches and eats this fish – the ultimate brain food. Since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease fifteen years ago, I have entertained the fanciful notion that there might be a fish that could replenish the brain’s dopamine producing cells. Their depletion is what causes the disease.
Mid April is a time of transition. It is the time of the season when fishing expeditions, previously inspired by hope, become fishing expeditions radiating with the strong sense of rod-flexing anticipation.
Deep purple stretches far into the distance and a plethora of trout infested lochs lie amid the heather, dotted puddle-like, beneath an all encompassing backdrop of gunmetal mountains. This is North Uist, the loch angler’s paradise.
A labyrinth of vast, mysterious and seldom fished lochs lie hidden away in the watery paradise of North Uist. So where on earth do you start and how does the visiting angler, who may only have 10 days to fish several lifetimes’ worth of water, get the best out of this loch fisherman’s wonderland?
The line suddenly tightened, it wasn’t a savage pull but a far more gentle take, I struck out of curiosity (thinking its probably weed) and suddenly....
Simon Kidd asks David Williams, organiser for the forthcoming Snowbee Sponsored float tube association competition at Drift on 10 May, for his comments on float tubing in general....
I told one of my friends that I was going to go on a fishing trip to Bosnia - his reply was “I’ve heard there are some good deals on Afghanistan at the moment!” which for a non fisher I’m sure would be a fairly regular response!
Some of the most exciting fishing in the world can be had on the California Baja, a 600-mile strip of land extending south from California U.S.A. On one side is the Pacific Ocean and on the other the Sea of Cortez. It is a part of Mexico as was once California until the battle of Alamo.
Running water is quite the most intoxicating of mother natures creations and anyone who seeks the aesthetically pleasing could do worse than seek it out.
Excitement of the Tongariro, picking up smaller fish….and then bang! …. hitting into bigger, solid, fighting machines that test your tackle to the limits.
Pausing to reflect on my success so far and to enjoy the sun shining on my stretch of bank I considered my options. I couldn't be sure of finding a better spot upstream and the further I went the further I would be from the pub.
Imagine, if you will, a vast expanse of water in a desert. And no, it’s not a mirage. It’s an odd perception really of an inland “sea” of fresh water, with a 300 mile “coastline” stuck in a volcanic, rock strewn expanse of nothingness.
As the sun set there was a movement of Atlantic salmon the like of which I have never before seen. The whole river from bank to bank was moving with fish, at one stage Peter shouted to me that he had just had 2 fish jump simultaneously between his rod tip and his waders. It was like a scene from a David Attenborough film. Everywhere one looked fish were on the move...
As a young boy I can vividly remember peering out through the misted windows of our small cottage, peat smoke billowing around the room, eagerly awaiting my father’s return and his silver harvest from the pools. Those childhood days have gone, but the overwhelming excitement, the magic of the pools and most importantly the sea trout, remain.
Since the 1950s, the 700 islands that make up the Bahamas have attracted the angler in search of phenomenal bonefishing. Today the sport on offer is every bit as exciting…
With endless shallow flats, coral beaches, mangrove channels and crystal clear ocean, Cuba without doubt has everything to rightfully be known as one of the finest destinations to pursue Bonefish, Tarpon, Permit and so many other interesting species....
Modern Fly Lines come in an ever-increasing array of profiles and densities. For all flyfishers, having the right line for the job increases not only their chances of success but their confidence in meeting the demands of the next cast, or simply getting the fly down to the right depth at the right time....
The “F” fly is a very simple fly that is quick and easy to tie but it has all the right qualities needed by any artificial to be really successful. In this article, Terry Lawton explains something of its background, how to tie it and corrects some of the myths associated with CDC feathers....
Catching that first salmon is a major milestone in any anglers career and one to be relished. The sheer magic of the moment is never forgotten. For some the prize will come easily, but for most it will be a journey of frustration and anxious moments so, when success finally comes, it is all the sweeter...
A rapidly growing side to the sport, saltwater flyfishing is accessible, exciting and unpredictable – what’s more it offers a multitude of hard-fighting species to pursue....
For many, trout fishing is a wonderful escape from the hectic routine of everyday life. As if by magic all your worries disappear and all that matters is capturing that elusive trout. Compared to some branches of the sport – carp fishing for example – relatively little tackle is required....
Fancy trying your hand at sea-trout fishing? If so, head for Wales where, with the right equipment and good conditions, you should be in for some fine sport....
The first thing you notice when visiting Los Roques to fly-fish is the abundance of life in the ocean around you. Lying just off the coast of Venezuela, the waters surrounding the island of Gran Roque are simply teeming with baitfish....
In recent years breathable clothing has become very popular with fishermen. The combination of breathability and use of lightweight purpose-designed layers has significantly increased the comfort enjoyed by people taking part in outdoor activities....
Fishing large, powerful rivers requires specialist techniques. Here we look at how the many new innovations and developments have changed the way anglers pursue the king of fish….
I thought I’d be the first down there because Nick and Ian, my two partners on the pool that September night, were still to leave London as I made it to the motorway for the mad Thursday night dash to Hampshire’s Southampton Water and the estuary of the world famous River Itchen....
Sunrise and the tarpon were rolling in the mirror-calm water, accompanied by the piercing screeches of the emerald-green parrots swooping around overhead on dawn patrol. I had paddled one of the lodges 2 kayaks the relatively short distance along the shoreline, past Little Monkey Caye and its roosting frigate birds and around the mangroves that protected the entrance to the creek.
Even as we were walking down the hill it was obvious there was a lot of activity in the water. Fish could be seen leaping and splashing around the lake - always a good sign!
OK – down to business carp fans. So if you’ve never picked up a fly rod before, just what do you need to get you started? Well the good news is that contrary to popular belief, fly fishing does not need to cost an arm or a leg. It can but it doesn’t have to!
So last time we got you all set up with your new fly-fishing tackle, now you just need to know how to use it right! Well, let me start off by saying that 30 years of bad habits and a singular lack of any formal casting lessons under my belt do not necessarily make me the best person to try to teach you how to cast like the guys and girls you see all backlit and shown in slow-motion in the movies and the more artsy television fishing programs.
In this article we are going to look in a little more depth about what makes a good carp fly. There is of course no one set of absolute rules to this but I hope I can share some insight into what has worked for me in my own experience, and give you a head start on what to look or aim for when buying or indeed creating your own patterns to try if you are also a fly-tier.
So far, all my columns regarding catching carp on the fly have accepted the usual approach of using just one fly on the end of the line. Pretty normal stuff, same as most fly-fishers do worldwide, or do they?
The Anner is another lovely little spring creek, small, secluded and quite heavily wooded in places. Again there were plenty of fish and it was in this river that I saw the best rises.
While most of the week was spent in pursuing the runs of coho (silver) and chinook (king) salmon by deep trolling with light spinning and baitcasting rods
Late spring, with its welcome rise in temperature, is now the time to fish with a floating line and small flies for salmon. But we ask what size is best?
Roland Henrion, a former fishing guide in Seychelles and designer of the Smart Spooler line winder, suggests a number of ways to look after and care for your rods, reels and fly lines to ensure many years of happy fishing. Tips that might make the difference between landing and loosing a fish of a lifetime.
Vancouver offers all the trappings you would expect from any great modern city, but with one unique advantage. Located on the pacific coast of Canada, Vancouver really is the gateway to one of the remaining untouched wildernesses, British Columbia.
We all know what has happened to the once famed sea trout of Scotland’s west coast – victims of sea lice infestations (a National disgrace) – but this year the runs on Scotland’s (fish farm free) east coast also seem to have collapsed.